Enrollment
166
Michigan · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Other / mixed grade configuration NCES 261925000852
Emerson School — Ionia, MI
Federal NCES profile for Emerson School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 27/100.
👥 Class size 51
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 0
How this works: Each indicator above is scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC data, then averaged into the Resource Investment Index. This measures resource allocation — staffing, programs, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Full methodology →
School address
District: Ionia Public Schools · Michigan
Public location data per NCES (National Center for Education Statistics) Common Core of Data. Verify the school's current address on the NCES CCD record.
Teachers (FTE)
14.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.3:1
vs 18.2:1 Michigan avg
-32% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
65.1%
vs 54.3% Michigan avg
+20% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Emerson School compares with Michigan and U.S. medians
The federal record — no proprietary index, no editorial formula.
PlainSchools publishes the actual federal measurements — enrollment, staffing, demographics, discipline, and finance — straight from the NCES Common Core of Data, CRDC, and F-33 surveys. No composite rating, no opinion-based score on top. You get the same raw numbers researchers and policymakers use, with benchmarks, spending context, and equity indicators computed from the same federal datasets. Full methodology linked below.
What this school's NCES data tells you
Emerson School reports 166 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 14.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 12.3:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 32% below the Michigan state mean of 18.2:1, signalling more teacher attention per pupil than the state benchmark. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 23% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 65.1% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 20% above the Michigan average and 26% above the national baseline. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 42.2% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Ionia Public Schools spends $12,513 per pupil district-wide, below the Michigan average of $15,842 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 20.1% from local sources (property taxes), 65.0% from the state, and 14.9% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 27/100 (F), calculated from 3 distinct NCES and CRDC indicators measuring resource allocation rather than academic outcomes.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Emerson School compares
Cross-validating school-level NCES values against Michigan state and U.S. national means lets readers see whether this school is an outlier or in line with peers.
| Metric | This school | vs Michigan | Michigan avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 12.3:1 | ▼ 32% | 18.2:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 65.1% | ▲ 20% | 54.3% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 166 | top 20% | — | — |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
What the federal data reveals about equity at this school
Federal measurements — not ratings — surface the resource and opportunity picture. Below are the indicators that researchers, civil-rights monitors, and funding formulas use to assess equity.
Economic need
65.1%
free-lunch eligible
— 20% above the Michigan average of 54.3%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold — federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
12.3:1
students per teacher
— 32% below state mean
Top 12% in Michigan — lower ratio than 88% of state schools
Below the 15:1 benchmark — typical of schools with smaller class sizes and more individualized attention.
Engagement
42.2%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Chronic absenteeism at or above 20% — the CDC threshold for "high" — signals significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$12,513
per pupil, district-wide
— below Michigan avg of $15,842
Below the U.S. average per-pupil spend — funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 2 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.2 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment 166 Top 20% in Michigan — larger than 80% of 3,399 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 14.0
Students per teacher 12.3:1 -32% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 65.1% +20% vs state
NCES ID 261925000852
Student demographics
White 71.7%
Hispanic or Latino 21.1%
Two or More 6.0%
African American 0.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.6%
Largest group: White at 71.7% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Counselors (FTE) 0.0
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 42.2%
In-school suspensions 0
Out-of-school suspensions 2
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Ionia Public Schools, which includes Emerson School.
$12,513
Per student
-21%
vs Michigan
Avg $15,842
-36%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 20.1%
State 65.0%
Federal 14.9%
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey District-level finance · FY 2021-22 Per-pupil expenditure reflects the district-wide average. Individual school budgets are not reported at the federal level.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 774
- Students per teacher
- 23:1
- Enrollment
- 629
- Students per teacher
- 16.6:1
- Enrollment
- 308
- Students per teacher
- 18.9:1
- Enrollment
- 272
- Students per teacher
- 22.5:1
- Enrollment
- 254
- Students per teacher
- 16.5:1
Similar other schools in Ionia
4 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Aa Rather School
Standard public school
308 students 18.9:1 students per teacher
Jefferson School
Standard public school
272 students 22.5:1 students per teacher
Freedom Acres School
Special-education school
107 students 11:1 students per teacher
Douglas R Welch High School
Alternative education program
73 students 41.5:1 students per teacher
Educator & family resources
In-depth guides on understanding NCES data, school choice, and education funding.
Understanding NCES data
How CCD, CRDC and EDFacts feed every public-school number you see.
Choose a school district
Eight signals that matter more than the overall ranking number.
How schools are funded
Title I, F-33, state aid formulas and what per-pupil spending really means.
Chronic absenteeism
Why missing 10% of school matters and how it varies by district.
Magnet vs charter vs traditional
Three school types, three funding models, three sets of trade-offs.
School discipline data
What CRDC suspension and expulsion records do and don't reveal.
Frequently asked questions about Emerson School
How many students attend Emerson School?
Emerson School has 166 students enrolled. It is a other school in IONIA, MI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Emerson School?
The student-teacher ratio at Emerson School is 12.3:1, which is 32% lower than the Michigan average of 18.2:1 and 23% lower than the national average of 15.9:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Emerson School?
65.1% of students at Emerson School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Michigan average of 54.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Emerson School?
The largest demographic group at Emerson School is White at 71.7%. The school serves a diverse student body in IONIA, MI.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Emerson School?
Emerson School has a Resource Investment Index of 27/100 (F) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.